Queen Creek, AZ Accessory Structures: ADU Rules (2026)

Queen Creek's Town Council approved ADU text amendments to the Zoning Ordinance at its Nov. 6, 2024 meeting, bringing the code into compliance with Arizona HB 2720 (codified at A.R.S. 9-461.18, effective Jan. 1, 2025). The state law applies to any municipality with a population over 75,000; Queen Creek's population was roughly 83,700 as of 2024, so the mandate applies. Under A.R.S. 9-461.18, the Town must allow at least one attached and one detached ADU as permitted uses on lots where a single-family dwelling is allowed, with an additional detached unit possible on parcels of one acre or more when one unit is a restricted-affordable dwelling. Per Town requirements, an ADU must be built on a permanent foundation, meet all residential building codes, have a separate and independent entrance (internal connection to the main home is not permitted), and meet the front-setback requirement of the underlying zoning district. State law bars the Town from requiring owner-occupancy or a familial/marital relationship, from prohibiting long-term rental of the ADU, from requiring the ADU's exterior to match the main home, and from imposing rear/side setbacks greater than five feet or height, lot-size or coverage rules stricter than those for the primary dwelling.